Rescued

by Presley Hall

  “There’s a back entrance,” Vrexen says. “We’ll go first, with two of us bringing up the rear as well, in case any of the attackers have snuck around.”

  The entrance is clear of danger, but as we make our way out into the hot sun, the noise of the fight is suddenly loud and immediate. Shouts and the grating sound of weapons striking echo clearly through the air. I can hear blaster fire, the impact of fists, the sound of men hitting the ground, and I feel cold even though it’s over a hundred degrees in the afternoon sun.

  It no longer feels like a given that Sorsir will survive, or that Chloe and I won’t be retaken. And the other women…

  O’Hozo won’t hesitate to take them all and sell them. They could be returned to the same slavery that the Kalixians rescued them from, that I escaped from.

  No. It won’t happen, I think to myself, closing my eyes tightly. It can’t.

  But, as Vrexen and the other warriors usher us into an abandoned building down the street, I can’t truly convince myself of that.

  I learned long ago that the world isn’t fair. And terrible things do happen.

  24

  Sorsir

  The numbers were even when the battle started, and I was cocky. I’ll admit it.

  I thought that there was no way that this group of underworld bottom-feeders could possibly pose a real threat to the Alpha Force, one of the most elite groups of fighters in all the galaxy. But I underestimated how hard men will fight for a boss as cruel as O’Hozo, or someone of his ilk.

  And O’Hozo himself isn’t the overfed slob I imagined him to be.

  He strode up to us, sneering as he caught sight of me. My first impression of him was that he was someone to be reckoned with, not soft as I expected. He’s tall—not quite as tall as a Kalixian, but still of a height to be threatening—and broad. He’s built like a fighter, blue-skinned and dressed in leather pants and a leather vest with a fur collar despite the heat, his chest and stomach bared. And it was immediately clear why. He’s covered with scars, both from battles and from beatings, and he wears them like tattoos, like decorations.

  But I still wasn’t afraid. Not even when he walked up to me, gaze raking over me carelessly as if he saw me as no threat at all, and demanded that we hand Autumn over.

  “I’ve come for my money,” he growled. “And the girl. I hear she has a child now too. All for the better. She’s cost me a great deal of money, that girl. I can recoup some of that by selling the child.”

  “Slavery is illegal on Wauru,” Tordax said tightly.

  O’Hozo laughed at that, the sound spreading through his men like a chittering echo. “I won’t be selling the child on Wauru. And the girl goes back to her masters. Ivuk will pay a pretty penny to reclaim his bride.”

  Red fury washed over me, every inch of my body ready to crush him, to grind him into the dirt for suggesting such a thing. He would separate Autumn and her daughter, sell Chloe, and return Autumn to be enslaved and raped by the Orkun. I wanted to smash his sneering face in, to tear him limb from limb for so much as daring to look at her—but I held myself rigidly in place, letting Tordax do the talking until at last, it was clear that talking would do no good.

  And then I was free to unleash my rage.

  I thought we would make short work of them.

  I was wrong.

  We fight well, but O’Hozo and his men fight dirty, and they catch us by surprise with their fierceness.

  Four of our warriors are injured in the first wave of fighting. Tordax yanks M’Xelni aside as the injured men began to retreat, whispering something to him in harsh tones. I don’t need to hear what he’s saying to know that he’s instructing him to have Vrexen get the women to safety.

  Good.

  I’m no longer certain I’ll make it out of this fight in one piece, but I need to know that Autumn and Chloe will be safe. It doesn’t matter what happens to me, as long as they make it out. As long as they survive and remain free.

  “If too many of us fall, tell Vrexen to take the money and get the women to a ship. Get them off-world. We won’t let them be taken back into slavery,” I hear Tordax growl, his voice low and determined, and it gives me the push I need to fight anew.

  M’Xelni darts inside the building, and O’Hozo circles me and Tordax in the dusty courtyard as his henchmen and the other Kalixians battle around us.

  “Give up the girl!” O’Hozo shouts. “What does it matter to you? She’s just a whore, like a hundred other women on this planet. You can find another at any bar. Even one without a child.” He sneers at me, laughing. “Give up the girl before too many more of my men are hurt, and I might even tell you where you could buy a virgin. Get you a fresh one, eh?”

  He jerks his hips in a lewd motion, licking his thick, blue-tinged lips, and I snarl, no longer able to keep my rage in check.

  With Tordax at my back, I lunge forward, knocking O’Hozo’s hand aside as he fires at me. The blaster bolt fires askew, barely missing one of his own men, and I hit him powerfully in the jaw, knocking him backward a few steps. Tordax is fighting off his henchmen who’ve come to help him, but it’s clear in a matter of minutes that O’Hozo and I are equally matched. He’s not an easy one to beat, and as I look around, I’m no longer entirely sure that we’ll win.

  Or at least, that we’ll win without any loss of life. As I look over at Tordax, I can read the expression in his eyes.

  At some point, will he give in? Will he give up Autumn to save his men, the Kalixians who have fought beside him—and me—for years?

  I don’t think he will. He wouldn’t do it if it was Rose, and he’ll fight for my mate as surely as he’d fight for his own. But it doesn’t change the fact that we could lose warriors today, in a scrap that we had thought would be just that.

  A scrap.

  An easily won fight.

  And then, just as I take a heavy blow from O’Hozo and stumble backward, shaking my head to clear it as I dodge a blaster shot, Tordax’s communication device crackles to life.

  “Commander! Zercux here, calling in to tell you that we’ve brought a ship from Kalix, and we’re coming in for landing.”

  I’ve never seen such shock on Tordax’s face, and I expect I never will again.

  Our gazes meet for a brief second, an unspoken question passing between us at the same moment.

  How?

  How did anyone know where to send a ship? How did they find us?

  Tordax is the first to recover from his surprise, shouting into the comm device.

  “Don’t land at the docks! We’re in a fight. Bring the ship in to the coordinates I send you! We have women who need shelter, and we need to get off of this planet. Be ready for a fight when you land.” He yanks one of the warriors aside. “Get Vrexen!” he shouts into his ear, over the screams of two of O’Hozo’s men that one of ours just took down.

  The fight is turning in our favor, but only barely… and it could go the other way just as quickly.

  O’Hozo takes advantage of my distraction to strike me in my side, his fist connecting with my ribs and then my lower back, knocking me backward and taking the air out of me. Tordax throws a knife, burying it in O’Hozo’s upper thigh, but the alien rips it free with nothing more than a growl, stalking toward us with renewed fury. He limps slightly, but battle fury has numbed his body to the pain.

  And then, to my shock and utter relief, the dirt around us begins to whip up in a whirlwind as the ship drops low, hovering above the squat buildings.

  It’s a Kalixian ship.

  Emotions roil in my chest as I take in the familiar shape. My planet, my home—this is the first sign of it I’ve seen besides the men I fight with since we were captured months ago.

  It’s real. It’s really here.

  The ship is too big to land fully, but a hatch opens at the bottom and a ladder descends. A clutch of warriors come rushing down it, sprinting forward to help us hold off O’Hozo and his men. Vrexen rounds the corner leading the Terran women, and I see Au
tumn and Chloe with them, to my relief. Chloe is crying hysterically from the noise and general atmosphere, and Autumn looks white as bone, but they’re alive and unhurt from what I can see.

  “Come on!” I hear a shout. “Get in, get in, we have to go!”

  Tordax and I attack O’Hozo with renewed vigor, fighting the brawny alien back as he shoots twice more and then drops his blaster, out of ammo. He strikes Tordax hard, knocking my commander back, but I skid past him, reaching for my short dagger in my belt.

  As I slide under O’Hozo’s arm, I strike, hauling him off balance as I shove it up hard under his ribs. It’s not a killing blow, it didn’t reach his heart, but he lets out a shout of pain and stumbles, falling heavily to his knees.

  My dagger is wedged in his ribs, and I’m not about to stop to get it out. I strike him hard, my fist connecting with his face once, twice, three times as I drive him into the dirt, every ounce of force I have going into the blows as I see his men falling around us, the Kalixians taking the advantage.

  And then we’re running, O’Hozo left in the dirt and his henchmen confused as we dash for the ship, climbing the ladder as fast as we can. As soon as we board, the ladder retracts and the door closes behind us, cutting off the shouts of O’Hozo’s men.

  Zercux stands at the head of the group of Kalixians who came with the ship… and next to him stands a hologram of Malav.

  “Malav!” Tordax shouts his friend’s name, his voice carrying through the ship, and Malav’s blue-tinged, slightly transparent image nods in greeting, a broad smile spreading across his face.

  “I thought you were dead,” Tordax grunts, his voice rough with emotion. “I’d all but given up hope.”

  “It was a close thing a few times,” Malav admits. There’s a slight crackle to his voice, and his image flickers slightly. “But I made it back to Kalix in the end, with Harper.”

  Tordax looks at him quizzically, and Malav’s grin widens as he explains. “I followed her to the ship she boarded, and while we were on it, some things became clear that weren’t before. She’s my Irisa. We’ve spoken to Prince Khrelan about the bonds, and the possibilities of it.”

  “Your Irisa?” Tordax looks overjoyed. “That’s three now. Sorsir has found his as well. That’s incredible news. And the prince, how did he take it?”

  “He’s… skeptical,” Malav admits. “But he’ll listen to you. He always does. And to see a third mate bond as well, that’s just more evidence.” The holographic image of Malav turns his head my way. “Blessings, Sorsir. It’s a joy I hadn’t expected to find.”

  “Nor I.” My broad smile matches his. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. And…” I hesitate. “She has a child as well.”

  Malav frowns. “A child?”

  “The product of her kidnapping by the Orkun,” Tordax cautions in a quiet voice. “But the child is kind and sweet and should not be held responsible for her parentage.” He shifts his attention to Zercux, his expression serious. “Make sure all on board know that.”

  Zercux nods. “I will, Commander Tordax.”

  “We’ll speak again soon,” Tordax tells Malav. “There is much to discuss.”

  “Indeed there is.” Malav’s hologram gives a salute. “Safe journey, my friend.”

  The flickering blue hologram fades out, and Zercux steps forward to speak to Tordax as the other men of Alpha Force greet the crew of our rescue ship.

  “Sorsir!” Autumn’s voice cuts through the air, high-pitched and relieved, and a second later she throws herself into my arms, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, god. Thank god. I was so afraid I’d lose you…”

  “You haven’t,” I promise her, cupping her face in my hands. “And I swear to you, you never will.”

  She looks around, swallowing hard as she takes in our new environment and the strange new Kalixian warriors. Rose, Lucy, and Emma are standing just behind her. Lucy holds Chloe, and all of them look slightly apprehensive.

  “This ship is from Kalix?” Autumn murmurs. “Vrexen said…”

  “One of our force made it back,” I tell her, wrapping one arm around her and holding her close to me. “Prince Khrelan sent him and more of our warriors with a ship to bring us home.” I look down at her, my happiness filling my chest as it starts to truly sink in. “We’re going home.”

  Autumn kisses me softly, leaning up on her tiptoes, and I breathe her in, not ever wanting to let her go.

  Zercux shows us to the empty quarters, parceling them out among the women and the Alpha Force warriors.

  “Tordax instructed me to give you and your mate the quarters I would have reserved for him,” he says with a knowing grin. “He says since you were recently mated…” He raises his eyebrows speculatively, and I can see some envy in his eyes. “He offered to take shared quarters with his Irisa, so you could have some privacy.”

  “That’s very kind of him,” Autumn says with surprise, gripping my hand tightly as I hold Chloe in my other arm. Neither of them seem to want to let go of me, and I’m in no hurry to let them go either.

  I know I should probably argue with Zercux at least a little, but I can’t bring myself to. The battle-rage and adrenaline is still hot in my blood, and I want to claim Autumn desperately, to remind myself and her that we’re safe and alive, that she’s mine and I’m hers.

  As she walks into the room, which is furnished a bit less sparsely than the others, Tordax appears at the door and stops me before I can go in.

  “Thank you for the quarters,” I say quickly, feeling myself flush a little at the implication of him giving this space to us. “I really do appreciate it, although you didn’t have to…”

  “You deserve what time you can get with your mate, although I can’t promise you days alone. But I wanted you to at least have this.” He pauses, and then looks at me directly, newfound respect shining clearly in his eyes.

  “You did well, Sorsir.”

  Tordax wasn’t joking when he said that there wouldn’t be days alone with Autumn. Although I burned to claim her as soon as we stepped inside our new quarters, Chloe needed our attention first. The little girl was shaken and afraid after our quick exodus from Monri, and Autumn and I spent time getting her settled in, fed, and calmed down before we all fell asleep together on the large bed in one corner of the room.

  Rose and Lucy came by later to collect Chloe and watch her for a little while, and the resilient child grinned happily as she toddled off with them. The moment we were alone, Autumn and I nearly mauled each other with kisses, her legs coming around my waist as I shoved her skirt up and claimed her roughly against the wall.

  But there’s been little time for a repeat of that over the past few days.

  We’re two weeks from Kalix, and most of my days are spent in war meetings with Alpha Force and the Kalixians sent from Prince Khrelan, going over our information gleaned from our time imprisoned by the Orkun, what we learned about them, and what happened since then.

  No detail can be left out or unexamined, and I’m often exhausted by the time we finish our dinner in the mess hall and I can join Autumn and Chloe in our quarters.

  Ships aren’t outfitted for children, which means Chloe bunks with us at night. Although I love having them both close to me while we sleep, it effectively destroys any chance of intimacy between me and Autumn in the evenings, when the other women are asleep and can’t entertain Chloe.

  It’s like the days before Autumn allowed me to touch her all over again, when it was just a vague hope, and I’m more frustrated than I’ve been in weeks. More so even than back then, because then it seemed like nothing more than a fantasy.

  Now Autumn is mine. My Irisa. Mine to claim and have in any way I wish, just as I am hers—and we can’t find a moment’s peace to make that a reality.

  What’s more, I miss her when we’re apart. We spent time apart on Wauru too, between my training sessions and bouts in the ring, but it seems as if the day-long meetings keep us separated more often than before. And now that Autumn has ac
cepted the bond, the need for time and intimacy is greater than ever for both of us, our love making us crave each other with a fierce need.

  Which is why I’m surprised, but not exactly shocked, when I come out of a meeting to break for a midday meal and Autumn intercepts me in the hallway, grabbing my elbow and yanking me aside before I can figure out what she’s doing.

  I follow her without thinking, and she drags me into a small empty room, hitting the button to close and lock the door before anyone sees.

  “Autumn…” I start to say, but she shakes her head, putting a finger over my lips.

  “I need you,” she whispers, pressing herself against me in the small space, her arms going around my neck as she leans up to kiss me. “We haven’t made love in days, and it’s killing me. Fuck, I need you so much. I need you inside of me.”

  The words send desire flooding through me. My cock is immediately erect from the moment she whispers against my lips, pressing hard against her thigh. She arches her hips against me, clearly feeling my arousal, then pushes me back against the wall. Her fingers tangle in my hair, caressing the base of my horns as her tongue snakes into my mouth.

  That’s all it takes. Powerful lust overwhelms me, the need to take her thundering through my veins as I grasp her waist, leveraging myself against the wall and pushing her into the one opposite. I kiss her fiercely, our tongues tangling together as I drink her in, savoring the smell and taste of her.

  I’m certain anyone passing by in the corridor can hear us crashing around inside the room the way we are, but I can’t bring myself to care.

  “We don’t have much time,” I manage.

  Autumn nods eagerly, kissing me again as she reaches down with one hand and pushes my loincloth aside, wrapping her fingers around my shaft and beginning to stroke me. She moans as my cock lurches in her hand. My hips thrust into her fist as she bites softly at my lower lip, gasping as I reach down to fumble with her skirt, parting it and pushing it up her hips.